Program Director I - Health Programs

About the Role

The Program Director, Health Programs Group (HPG), oversees a portfolio of projects funded by the U.S. Government and other donors in a specific country or region. The projects span a range of technical focus areas, including HIV, global health security and outbreak response, maternal and child health, and malaria. Reporting to the Senior Director, Program Portfolio, HPG, the Program Director serves as the primary representative for their assigned portfolio.

The Program Director works collaboratively with HPG leadership, global project leadership, Global Operations and Services’ (GOS) Senior Directors, Regional Hubs, and enterprise services staff to ensure projects within their portfolio are implemented efficiently and compliantly, in alignment with approved contracting mechanisms, workplans, and budgets. They directly supervise a team of project staff (Associate Directors, Project Managers, and/or Project Directors/Chiefs of Party) responsible for direct implementation of projects and country activities. Through a matrixed approach, they work closely with global project leadership teams to ensure country teams implement successfully.

The Program Director ensures country-level coordination between projects to provide a holistic approach to implementation, limit organizational risks, streamline processes and decision-making, guarantee effective communication between HPG leadership and countries, and ensure project needs are met compliantly. They work closely with Finance staff to maintain budget adherence and fiscal health, and collaborate with donors, partners, and local stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle. The role may also serve as a management backstop for select assigned projects and focuses on building the skills and capabilities of direct reports.

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership for the assigned portfolio to ensure compliance with FHI 360 policies and procedures, donor requirements, and other regulations.
• Serves as a key interface between HPG leadership, global project leadership, country project staff, GOS, and enterprise services teams to ensure projects receive required operations support (e.g., procurement, contract management, security, legal, human resources) and communications for program excellence.
• Ensures oversight and quality assurance for the assigned portfolio.
• Coordinates a matrixed management approach to capacity building, support, and oversight of program, technical, and/or operations staff.
• Manages and strengthens staff capacity using a matrixed approach to achieve strategic goals and ensure project excellence.
• Provides management backstopping for an assigned portfolio, including the full project lifecycle from startup through closeout (e.g., work plan development, budget development, staff planning, project monitoring, budget monitoring, deliverables development, and closeout).
• Serves as a point of contact for partners, subcontractors, vendors, collaborators, stakeholders, and donors.
• Contributes to business development to maintain and/or grow the portfolio of countries in their remit, as necessary.
• Ensures successful implementation of projects within the assigned portfolio, meeting financial and programmatic targets while exceeding client expectations.
• Manages potential resource conflicts across the portfolio and escalates issues to resolve them and limit project implications.
• Fosters innovation and drives adoption of leading practices under the guidance of the Senior Director, Program Portfolio, while providing project management and/or subject matter expertise.
• Establishes and maintains standards within and across projects in compliance with organizational and client policies, processes, and regulations.
• Manages and promotes understanding of dependencies associated with resources and projects to ensure teams receive necessary support.
• Conducts routine reviews on project status, actions, decisions, risks, issues, and deliverables for assigned programs.
• Provides metrics and analytics to support global project leadership and HPG leadership with executive decision-making.
• Supports performance management and professional development of direct reports, including ongoing feedback, coaching, and career support.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Expertise in project management and assigned country context.
• Comprehensive knowledge of theories, concepts, and practices in project management, process development, and execution across contracting mechanisms (e.g., cooperative agreements, contracts).
• Excellent communication, public relations, representation, and diplomacy skills.
• Ability to build positive local working relationships with team members, donors, partners, and local stakeholders.
• Strong consultative and negotiation skills.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills to strategize, plan, and manage resources for successful project completion.
• Ability to motivate, influence, and collaborate with others.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree or its international equivalent in Communication and Social Marketing, Economic Development, Education, Health, Nutrition, Research, Technology and Youth, or a related field. Project Management (PM) Certification preferred.
• Typically requires 10+ years of relevant experience with project management principles and practices, including 8+ years of department-level leadership, strong business acumen, and/or line management experience.
• Experience managing United States Government (USG)-funded assistance and acquisition projects; focus on HIV, global health security, TB, maternal newborn child health, and/or nutrition projects strongly preferred.
• Proficient with applicable rules, regulations, and policies associated with international development and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
• Demonstrated experience in sector-specific or multi-sector project management and implementation.
• Demonstrated strategic planning, staff development, and capacity-building experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing complex projects that are strategic in nature and national/international in scope.
• English language fluency required; fluency in a second language (e.g., Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic) preferred.
• Experience operating in challenging environments.

Typical Physical Demands

• Typical office environment.
• Ability to spend long hours looking at a computer screen and performing repetitive keyboard work.
• Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time.
• Ability to lift/move up to 5 lbs.

Technology to be Used

• Personal Computer/Laptop
• Microsoft applications (e.g., Office 365, SharePoint, Zoom/Teams)
• Cell phone/mobile technology
• Standard office equipment

Schedule

Up to 25% travel required.

Pay

US Based Hiring Salary Range: USD $130,000 - $160,000 annually. International hiring ranges will differ based on location.

FHI 360 pay ranges represent national averages that vary by geographic location. When determining an offer amount, FHI 360 factors in multiple considerations, including but not limited to: relevant years of experience and education possessed by the applicant, internal equity, business sector, and budget. For internal candidates, salary placement will also follow FHI 360’s current promotional increase guidelines. Final compensation will be determined in accordance with applicable law and FHI 360 policy.

Base salary is only one component of the offer. FHI 360 contributes 7% of monthly base pay to a money purchase pension plan account.

Benefits

• All US-based full-time staff (40 hours/week) receive 18 days of paid vacation per year, 12 sick days per year, and 11 holidays per year. Paid time off is reduced pro rata for employees working less than a full-time schedule.